FPAI
Credit: Facebook FPAI
Dharwad: The Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) Dharwad chapter launched 16 programmes to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The event will be held across the district till December 10. The campaign aims to create awareness among women, men, youth and children on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, World AIDS Day, and Human Rights Day.
Inaugurating the event, FPAI general manager Sujatha Anishettar said that this year’s theme is “Join the campaign to stop digital abuse.”
She expressed concern that the rate of violence against women in India remains alarming. Women face various forms of violence-physical, sexual, psychological, verbal, economic and social.
She pointed out that in recent times, digital misuse has intensified forms of violence such as image-based harassment, sharing intimate images without consent, spreading misinformation on social media, online sexual exploitation, and cyberstalking or tracking*. To prevent such threats, it is essential to equip women and girls with proper knowledge, problem-identification skills, and training to handle these situations effectively.
FPAI has been continuously working in this direction, she noted.
Programme Officer N F Madivalar speaking on the occasion, said that the role of men is equally important in women’s empowerment, and the large participation of men in these programmes reflects their involvement. Many women are suffering from serious issues such as anaemia. Therefore, protecting women’s health and ensuring their empowerment are crucial.
“An empowered woman can find solutions to challenges. Through self-employment, self-confidence, unity and skill development, economic independence can be achieved,” he added.
Deepa Mala, Dr Sharada Kematur, Dr Narsarin Honalli, staff members and over 150 women participants took part in the programme.